User Reviews

A big thanks to the king of canned beer, woodychandler, for this beer. Poured from a 16 oz. can. Has a golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of banana, malts, yeast. Taste is identical to the smell, except the alcohol is very much present in the flavor. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a solid beer.

Welcome to my Bonne Bière d'Hiver Nouveau Dimanche (Happy New Winter Beer Sunday)! My friends at Iron Hill have begun expanding their CANned beer lineup & this is the latest in the series. It is also my approved pic, plus I will be the first to review it from a CAN.

I pulled Rudolph's rack out of my rack (of four) and CANtemplated what I might do if I saw that many points in the wild and in-season. The angry cast of his eyes, that glowing nose & the full stein at his neck, coupled with his rampant stance all suggest giving him a pass.

I was not going to pass up Crack!ing open this CAN, however! It was nice & loud & while I wanted to turn him upside down and shake him out, I felt like Rudolph deserved better, plus, with the involvement of Belgian yeast, it was possible that lees might be present. Even with a gentle Glug, Rudolph came roaring out, but still only produced a skim of head. Color was a gorgeous Yellow-Gold (SRM = 4 -5) with button brightness and where the promise of breakfast did not rouse my overnight guests of the Gelt Gang (Croesus, Mammon & Midas), this brought them downstairs right quick! We are big hockey fans and games are being televised all weekend, including (especially) the Black & Gold of Pittsburgh, so they are staying with me. Rudolph's nose also stayed with me. It was an odd mélange of banana with black pepper! I might not ever really try that out, but such was the beer's smell. Mouthfeel was medium. The taste was VERY spicy, not just black pepper, but clove, ginger and a papery mustiness to boot, underlain by the fruity sweetness of banana. Finish was extremely dry, undoubtedly due to the yeast being used. Phew! I feel like I am coming out of the gate at a pretty good clip today. Whee!

Had on draft at IH Montgomeryville, PA. The beer poured a cloudy golden color with little to no head. The aroma was more cascade hops than the typical Belgian ale aroma. The intensity of the aroma was light to medium. The flavor was somewhat sweet with little Belgian yeast esters. I found it more of a sweetened IPA. Some slight alcohol on the back end, but more bitterness. The mouthfeel was smooth, like velvet across the palate. Overall, I liked the beer, but calling it a Belgian strong ale might not be the best description.

Pours a bright, clear gold with a nice white head with average retention but no lace. Strong, spicy aroma with yeast and mild fruit, light alcohol. Pale malt body hides behind potent spice and yeast with a mild floral finish. Like Adam mentioned below, interesting blend of banana and fruit with clove and spice and minimal traces or suggestions of the alcohol underneath. Sneaky, strong Belgian ale, recommended.

A: The golden ale sure is, a bright golden color that radiates. There is absolultely no where for any imperfections to hide. The white head nears half a finger and, despite a steady stream of bubbles from the middle of the glass, doesn't lace.

S: Interesting. Spices scream Belgium while phenols scream Germany. The strength of the ale is evident in the sweet heat that comes with the phenols. Formidable despite its pleasant-looking demeanor.

T: The pale blonde body is no match for the spices and yeast. That being said, the spices are yeasty, ample and fruity. The phenolic aspect is quite interesting, lending a banana flavor to the ale. Hops are prevalent throughout, adding a floral aspect that isn't terribly bitter. Instead the flowers fold into the banana and spices. A scary drink because the strength doesn't really make itself known. I'm glad I stuck to one glass.

M: The phenols, another beer with pronounced banana in the past week, are a nice diversion. The spiciness tries to keep up but generally doesn't. Good.

Poured into a stem glass, a slight hazy golden blonde with a nice small cap of rocky white head that left some doily-like lacing on the glass. Light aroma of pale malts, yeast, and pith. Crisp taste, pale malts, Belgian yeastiness, lemon pith and zest, with the alcohol moderately noticeable. A little tiny bit on the metallic side in the aftertaste, but not to the point where it detracted from the overall flavor. Maybe a little too thin. Light-medium body and quite drinkable.